The Administrative Council
253. 1. The administrative council shall provide for the planning and implementing of a program of nurture, outreach, witness, and resources in the local Church, and for the administration of its organizational and temporal life. The council shall have all of the responsibilities of the administrative board ( 257) and the council on ministries ( 258), including evaluation, setting of goals, and developing strategies and plans of action for implementing its ministries. The administrative council shall be amenable to and function as the executive agency of the charge conference ( 248). Its membership shall include the combined membership of those named to the administrative board and the council on ministries insofar as the officers, or combination of offices, listed in 255 and 259 exist within the local Church or are otherwise provided for in this paragraph.
2. The administrative and program responsibilities of the administrative council may be carried out by as few as eight persons and the pastor. According to the needs of the Church, committees or task forces may be developed to work with the following leaders:
a) The chairperson of the administrative council who also may serve as the Church lay leader and/or lay member to the annual conference.
b) The church lay leader who may also serve as chairperson of the administrative council, as a member of the pastoral charge's committee on pastor-parish relations (270.2), on the local Church's committee on finance (270.4), and shall carry out the responsibilities stated in 252.
c) The chairperson of nurturing ministries, who shall give attention to educational, worship, and stewardship components of ministry, and who may also serve as the superintendent of the Sunday school (263.1).
d) The chairperson of outreach ministries, who shall give attention to local and larger community ministries of compassion and advocacy, church and societal issues, global ministries concerns, health and welfare ministries, Christian unity and interreligious concerns, religion and race, and status and role of women.
e) The chairperson of witness ministries, who shall give attention to evangelistic outreach to persons, membership care, spiritual formation, communications, lay speaking ministries, and witnessing through the sharing of personal and congregational stories of Christian experience, faith, and service.
f) The coordinator of age-level and family ministries, who shall give attention to coordinating ministries for each age level and families.
g) The chairperson of committee on finance, who shall give attention to financial cultivation and stewardship concerns of the church, and to the support of the church's ministries (270.4).
h) The chairperson of board of trustees, who shall give attention to property, facilities, trustee and legal concerns (2533).
i) The Church treasurer, who shall be responsible for maintenance of financial records of income and disbursements, make financial reports to each council meeting, and serve on the committee on finance (270.4b).
j) The pastor.
k) Additional persons shall be named to the council as needed to serve in designated leadership roles.
3. The administrative council shall authorize the addition of all positions to the administrative council; the committee on nominations and personnel (270.1) shall nominate persons to the positions to be filled; and the charge conference shall elect them to their offices.
4. Meetings--a) The administrative council shall meet at least quarterly. Special meetings may be ordered and set by the administrative council, or called by the chairperson or pastor.
b) In order that the administrative council may give adequate consideration to the missional purpose of the local Church, the first agenda item at each of its meetings shall be related to its ministries of nurture, outreach, and witness. The administrative and supportive responsibilities of the church will then be given attention.
c) The administrative council shall meet annually for strategic planning concerning the congregation's future mission and ministry.
5. Quorum--The members present and voting at any duly announced meeting shall constitute a quorum.
General Conference Webmaster: Susan Brumbaugh
PETS Creator: John Brawn
1992 Book of Discipline: ¶ 253
1996 United Methodist General Conference